Truck.



10.809,478. PATBNTBD JAN. 9, 1906.

P. TWOMBY. TRUCK.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 11. 1906.

2 SHEETg-SHBET 1.

UNITED sTATEs PATENT oEEioE.

No. soa/178.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 9, 1906.

Application iled February 1l, 1905. Serial No. 245,241.

To a/ZZ whom t may concern:

Be it known that l, PATRICK TWOMEY, a citizen of the United States, anda resident of the city of New York, borough ofthe Bronx, in the countyand State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Truck, of whichthe following is a full, clear, and exact description. v

My invention relates to trucks, and has for its principal object theprovision of such an apparatus adapted for the transferring and pilingup of various objects, and more particularly merchandise in bags-forexample, sugar.

It consists in the various features and combinations hereinafterdescribed and more particularly claimed.'

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar characters of reference indicatecorresponding yparts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of one embodiment of my invention, partsbeing broken away. Fig. 2 is an end elevation thereof. Fig. 3 is ahorizontal section on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is an enlargedsectional detail through a portion of the conveyer and thesupporting-frame. Fig. 5 is a bottom plan View of a portion of saidconveyer. Fig. 6 is a vertical sectional detail illustrating the meansfor fixing the position of the chute. Fig. 7 is an enlarged transversesectional detail on the line 7 7 of Fig. 8, particularly showing thelocking device for the conveyer. Fig. 8 is an end elevation of saidlocking device looking from the left in Fig. 7. Fig. 9 is a perspectiveView of a socket for one of the guide-rods, and Fig. 10 is a similarView of said guide-rod.

A designates a frame, which is preferably constructed of angle-iron, andconsists of uprights 10, cross-bars 11, and braces 12. At the forwardend of the frame, on the lower extremities of the uprights, is supportedan axle .13, upon which are journaled wheels 14 14. At the rear of theframe a similar axle 15 carries wheels 15a 15a and may turn about aking-bolt 16, passing through a cross-bar 16 of the frame. Upon thiscross-bar and upon the axle are xed the sections 17 and 18 of afifth-wheel, the latter section being pro- 'vided with internalgear-teeth 19. With these teeth meshes a pinion 20, fixed upon asteering-shaft 21, journaled in brackets 22, projecting rearwardly fromthe frame. This shaft terminates considerably below the upper portion ofthe frame and is provided with some steering device or handhold, such asa wheel 23, which is situated at such a` height above the surface overwhich the truck is passing that it may be conveniently operated by aperson pushing the truck before him.

At the Lipper ends of the' uprights, which are so elevated as to besomewhat above the level of the top of the pile of objects which it isdesired to form, are supported longitudinally-extending angle-ironshaving horizontal ianges 24, furnishing ways, and outer vertical ianges25. The supporting-platform of the truck is furnished by a conveyer,which may consist of transverse barsor slats 26, here shown as connectedby strips 27 27, which may be of sheet-steel or other flexible materialand have recesses 28, in which are journaled rolls 29, which operateover the ways furnished by the flanges 24. Lateral movement-of theconveyer is prevented by the contact of the ends of the bars with theflanges 25, while the opposite extremities of these supportingangle-irons are bent downwardly and inwardly at 30 to guide the conveyer upon an easy curvature. Upon the ways, preferably just above thesteering-wheel, a shaft 31 is journaled in bearings 32 and has anextended lateral projection 33, which may be swung between adjacentconveyer-bars to lock said conveyer in place or moved outwardly to clearl and allow its movement. To retain the locking projection in thedesired position, one end of the shaft has lixed upon it a handle 34,which coacts with a spring retaining-sector 35, having two recesses 36and 37. When the handle lies within the former, the locking projectionis out of the path of the conveyerbars; but when it rests in the recess37 the projection is between two of the bars and the conveyer istemporarily fixed in position.

Pivoted upon the forward uprights by means of brackets 38, fixed justbelow the end of the conveyer, is a chute 39, to the lower portion ofthe opposite sides of which may be hinged curved bars or operatingmembers 40. These bars pass through guide-openings 41 in the uprights,and each has a pivoted end seotion 42, which when the chute is in itsvertical position, as is illustrated in full lines in Fig. 1 of thedrawings, will hang in comparatively close proximity to the rearuprights and be out of the way, but when raised furnishes a continuationof the forward section IOO . for a suitable distance.

of the bar. In each bar are a plurality of retaining-notches, here shownas two in number, one, 43, being in the forward bar-section and thesecond, 44, in the rear section. These may be brought into engagementwith the edge of the forward guide-openings and retain the chute atdifferent angles, one of which is shown in dotted lines in Fig. l.

To guard the rear of the platform or conveyer, so that the objectscarried thereon may not become displaced and fall upon the user, and tosupport a fall and tackle, sockets' 45 and 46 are fixed upon theuprights and the curved ends of the flanges 25 at the opposite sides ofthe truck, and in these are supported rods 47, projecting rearwardly andupwardly The rods may be retained in this position by projections 48thereon, which engage angular locking-recesses 49 in the socket 46. Whenthe truck is to be loaded, the projections 'may be withdrawn from therecesses and the rods slipped through the sockets until said projectionscontact with the sockets 45, this bringing the outer ends of the rodswithin the outer surface of the conveyer, so that they will notinterfere with the operation.

Considering the use of my improved truck for handling bags of sugar, itis placed in proximity to the vessel from which the bags are to beremoved and these are loaded upon it by the usual tackle which isemployed in removing the cargo from the hold. In the form illustratedthe platform is adapted for supporting two of the bags, this giving aweight which one man can readily move. The truck having been thus loadedand the conveyer fixed in place, the handle of the locking device beingin the recess 37, said truck is pushed before the user, who directs itby turning the 'steering-wheel. 'Ihe chute and chute-bar end sectionsare at this time lowered, and the entire absence of projecting elementsrenders the truck readily moved through comparatively narrow spaces.Arrived at the point on the pier at which the pile of bags is to beerected the truck is stopped in such position that when the chute isextended at its maximum angle, the notches 44 engaging the forwarduprights, the outer extremity of said chute will be directly over theplace at which the first bag is to be deposited. Then the conveyer isunlocked by moving the handle 34 into the recess 36 and the bags causedto travel with the conveyer until the one nearer the chute drops upon itand slides to the pier, the descent being rendered so gradual that thereis no danger of bursting the bag. After moving the truck the bars maythen be swung inwardly until the notches 43 coact with the uprights,which positions the chute properly to deliverv the next bag adjacent tothat which preceded it,it being unloaded in the same manner by pushingthe conveyer forward. The truck is then returned to the loadingpoint andthe operation repeated', but on its return to the pile it is unnecessaryto project the chute, since the presence of the bags already upon thepier furnishes a cushion which obviates the danger of bursting, thetravel cf the conveyer causing the bags to fall directly upon thosewhich have preceded them. This continues until the pile reaches thedesired height, which is still below the level of the upper run of theconveyer, thus making it needless to at any time lift the bags.

It will be seen from the above description that this truck is not onlyconvenient for use in contracted areas, but also entirely does away withthe necessity for lifting the objects transferred and avoids the dangerof bursting the containers and spilling the contents.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent- 1. A truck comprising a frame having uprights, aplatform mounted at the upper extremities thereof, cross-barsconnectingthe uprights, pairs of wheels upon which the frame issupported, and a steering-shaft journaled in theY cross-bars andconnected with one of the pairs of wheels, said steering-shaftterminating below the platform.

2. A truck comprising a wheeled frame having opposite ways and providedwith downwardly and inwardly curved end portions.

3. A truck comprising a wheeled frame having opposite ways, an endlessseries of connected bars movable over the ways, and a locking devicemovable between the bars.

4. A truck comprising a wheeled frame, a conveyer mounted upon the frameand furnishing a platform, and a chute pivoted upon the frame below oneextremity of the conveyer.

5. A truck comprising a wheeled frame having supporting-ways, aiiexible, endless traveling platform having its upper run movable overthe ways, and means to lock said flexible platform against movement.

6. A truck comprising a wheeled frame having elevated supporting-ways, aflexible, endless traveling platform having its upper run movable overthe ways, a chute having its upper end pivotally connected to the frameat a point below the discharge portion of the traveling platform, andmeans to adjust the chute and support it in adjusted position.

' 7. A truck comprisinga wheeled frame having elevated supporting-ways,a iexible, endless traveling platform having its upper run movable overthe ways, a chute having its upper end pivotally connected to the frameat a point below the discharge portion of the traveling platform, andmeans to adjust the chute and support and lock it in adjusted position.

8. A truck comprisinga wheeled frame, an elevated platform mountedthereon, a chute pivoted upon the frame, and an operating memberincluding two sections, one of which is connected with the chute and theother piv- IOO IIO

ISO

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` stops to coact With said guides to look the bars to the frame andsecure the chute in adjusted position.

lO. A truck comprising a Wheeled frame having guide-openings in itsfront and rear sides, an elevated platform supported on said frame, achute having itsupper end pivoted to one side of the frame under thedischarge portion of the platform, and curved operatingbars pivotallyconnected together and pivotally connected to the chute, saidoperatingbars extending through the guide-openings in the frame andhaving stop devices to coact With the sides of said openings to locksaid bars and hence said chute in adjusted position.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing Witnesses.

PATRICK TWoMEY.

Witnesses:`

JN0. M. RITTER, SYLvANUs H. COBB.

